Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Using force to coerce the other party into submission?

That would require Xia to use her demonic energy, and Lin Gui was absolutely unwilling to reveal her identity.

Moreover, the other party did not do anything outrageous to me.

Lin Gui would never kill someone for that.

So, there's only one way left—

Block their escape route.

Lin Gui's mind raced, and a rough plan quickly took shape.

He looked down at the few people below who were gripped by fear and silently apologized in his heart.

At this moment, Sharp Edge has begun preparations for evacuation.

They almost frantically discarded all heavy objects that would affect their speed.

This includes sophisticated surveying instruments, extremely expensive photographic stones, and sound-transmitting stones.

They even abandoned their camping tents, large quantities of food, and drinking water.

All I want is to travel light and run as fast as I can.

Just as they turned around, taking their first steps to charge back in a desperate retreat—

A voice rang out very close behind them without warning.

It was an extremely strange female voice.

The tone was sharp, like scratching an old metal plate with a fingernail.

Each word was drawn out and twisted, carrying an inhuman sense of emptiness.

It pierces directly into the brain, causing one's scalp to explode instantly.

"...Are you... leaving already?"

The voices were so close, it was as if the speaker was breathing right behind someone's neck.

"!!"

Ryan and the others trembled violently, their blood almost freezing.

The overwhelming sense of horror was like a bucket of ice water poured over them, freezing them in place instantly.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through the fabric of his back.

But the instincts of a seasoned bounty hunter remain.

Almost instantly after the initial freeze, Ryan roared:

"Defensive formation! Back to back!"

The four people instinctively moved closer together, protecting the elderly man who was leading the way in the middle.

Weapons were drawn, shields were raised, and their gazes swept across the thick fog with suspicion.

Although the hand holding the weapon was still trembling slightly.

They adopted a defensive posture, even though they didn't know where the enemy was.

The pastor girl immediately closed her eyes and focused her mind.

Pale blue magical ripples spread out from her, sweeping across the surrounding mist.

However, all that came back was emptiness and nothingness.

There was no trace of life or energy remaining at the location where the sound came from.

It was as if the voice appeared out of nowhere.

"I can't sense it... I can't sense it!"

She cried out in a trembling voice, the last trace of color draining from her face.

It is not a human, but an undetectable demonic spirit.

"Who...who are you?!"

Ryan roared, his voice trembling uncontrollably, though he tried to suppress his fear.

The voice was hoarse and strange, definitely not like that of a living person.

His speech is exceptionally clear and logical.

They had been inside these walls for many years and had never encountered such a "being".

A terrible thought uncontrollably crept into Ryan's mind—

Was it because of that deathly silence along the way...?

The collective disappearance of those spirits and demons that should have been ever-present...

It's all because of... this "thing"?

Did it drive away or devour everything in its path?

This conjecture sent chills down his spine.

"Who am I... Hahaha... Who am I?"

The shrill female voice rang out again, her laughter like the mournful cry of a night owl, sharp and piercing.

His hoarse voice carried a chilling coldness that seemed to emanate from the depths of a tomb.

"Listen to my voice... don't you know who I am?"

Each word seemed to be squeezed out of a broken throat, carrying an inhuman, hollow echo.

Ryan's pupils contracted sharply.

Before he could speak, the voice continued on its own, its tone suddenly becoming plaintive and drawn-out.

"I am... Shadowblade Lynn."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thick fog seemed to freeze for a moment.

Ryan and his teammates gasped, their hearts nearly stopping.

Shadowblade Lin! The epic night elf who led her team to victory ten times in a row, only to perish within the walls in the end!

Despite his shock, Ryan's remaining rationality detected something amiss.

He and Shadowblade Lin were among the same group of people who joined the bounty hunters.

As someone who is only at the intermediate level of the extraordinary realm, it is naturally impossible for him to have any connection with those who hold titles of master.

But... Ryan was there, at the rally held by Blackbeard, and heard the other party's speech.

Even after all this time, Ryan will never forget that aloof, icy voice.

But the voice of this demon who calls himself Shadow Blade Lin... doesn't sound like it at all.

He suppressed his fear, his throat dry as he forced out a question:

"But...but I remember, Lady Lin's voice...it doesn't sound like this..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell into dead silence.

There seemed to be a slightly awkward atmosphere.

But Ryan and the others did not notice this strangeness.

The sound disappeared, and the thick fog rolled silently.

The silence at this moment was more unsettling than any answer.

A few seconds later, the shrill female voice sounded again.

However, it added a layer of overwhelming sorrow and resentment.

"Yes...it's been so many years..."

"I've been soaking in this all-consuming fog... for far too long..."

"My voice... has long since become this inhuman, ghostly thing..."

The despair and hatred in his words.

This made Ryan and the others' hair stand on end, and they dared not ask another question.

Seeing that Ryan and the others remained silent, the voice of "Shadow Blade Lin" rang out again.

Filled with deep resentment and endless exhaustion.

"I cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation... The Netherworld Sea refuses to accept me..."

"This fog is my prison."

The voice paused, then suddenly became urgent and sharp, as if carrying some kind of yearning.

"Keep moving forward...keep moving forward!"

"Go to the Blackwater Ruins... We must get there!"

Ryan's throat was dry, and he asked with difficulty:

"Why...why? What's there?"

The voice suddenly turned cold and forceful, leaving no room for doubt.

"Find that person with black hair and black eyes..."

"Let him go to my burial place."

"Only he... can free me from my bonds."

"otherwise……"

The sound suddenly lengthened, turning into a mournful wail that echoed through the mist.

The thick fog seemed to surge and churn, and the chill was biting.

"You... all of you can stay and keep me company."

The mournful final note had not yet completely dissipated.

The sobbing sounds twisted, stretched, and echoed in the fog.

It seemed to come from all directions, yet also seemed to be right next to my ear.

The fallen leaves and dust scattered on the ground moved erratically without any wind.

It slowly rose and hovered around Ryan and the others.

It formed a small, eerie gray-black vortex.

The dense fog was also stirred up by some force.

It tumbled and coalesced before their eyes.

The image vaguely outlines a blurred and pained female face.

It was fleeting.

Upon seeing this, Ryan was terrified and said in a trembling voice.

"I...we...will do as you say, please...please don't come any closer!"

The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything.

The team members carried the guide on their backs and turned to run wildly toward the Blackwater Ruins.

They no longer cared about conserving energy or maintaining formation.

They charged headlong into the distance, trying to escape the deadly whispers of the "ghost" behind them.

They were panicked and did not look back.

Therefore, I did not see it.

The surveying instruments, photographic stones, tents, etc., that they abandoned on the ground...

One by one, they floated into the air on their own.

It was as if I was being lifted up by countless invisible hands.

It floated lightly, following the direction they were fleeing in, and "flew" for a short distance.

Then, it vanished into thin air.